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Abstract

Background Large-scale real life observational cohorts are needed to study effectiveness and early signals of rare safety issues of new biological disease modifying drugs (bDMARDs) and biosimilars (bsDMARDs) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Combining data from biological registries would facilitate this. The Nordic countries have several similarities that would justify such aggregated analyses including similar health care systems with universal access to population based health care, availability of b/bsDMARDs through a tax-paid system and the registration of use and effectiveness of bDMARDs in inflammatory diseases in a prospective manner in drug registries.

Objectives To explore the prescription patterns of old (TNF-inhibitors) and newer bDMARDs (secukinumab, ustekinumab) including bsDMARDs (SB4, CT-P13) over time in AS in the Nordic countries in order to illustrate the potential of a common Nordic collaboration.

Conclusions The use of bsDMARDs in AS is rapidly increasing. The use of drugs with new modes of action is still low, which illustrates the need for collaboration across countries to provide real life data with sufficient power for new innovative therapies in the future. The Nordic rheumatologic registries represent a unique opportunity to study effectiveness and safety of bDMARDs, including bsDMARDs in AS.

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